When to Plant Mibuna in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Mibuna guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Feb to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Days to harvest
- 25 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Spacing
- 20 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
Mibuna is a fast-growing Japanese leafy green with long, narrow, smooth-edged leaves in a loose clump. It has a mild, slightly peppery flavour and is eaten raw in salads, stir-fried or added to soups.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Planting Calendar for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb D
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep D
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Mibuna in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Rich, fertile, moist, organic-rich well-drained loam
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun to partial shade, at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sun a day
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 25cm between rows
- Watering
- Water when the top few centimetres of soil are dry, early morning or late afternoon, and keep water off the leaves to limit fungal disease.
- Good companions
- Lettuce, Onion, Radish, Dill, Beetroot
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Mibuna
Key Challenges
- Cabbage White Butterfly: Caterpillars eat large ragged holes in leaves
- Cabbage white butterfly caterpillars: Caterpillars consume foliage
- Diamondback Moth: Caterpillars chew irregular holes, often creating 'windowpane' damage (eating one side of leaf leaving transparent membrane)
- Diamondback moth caterpillars: Chewed leaves and small window-like holes
Pro Tips
- Incorporate well-rotted compost into soil prior to planting; feed with a nitrogen-rich liquid organic fertiliser fortnightly to maintain rapid leaf growth
- Apply a light organic straw mulch around plants to retain soil moisture and prevent dirt from splashing onto leaves
Pests and problems for Mibuna in Cool Temperate
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Watch
- Downy Mildew Rotate brassicas, space plants and avoid overhead watering late in the day. Watch
- Cabbage White Butterfly Cabbage White Butterfly: Caterpillars eat large ragged holes in leaves Watch
- Diamondback Moth Diamondback Moth: Caterpillars chew irregular holes, often creating 'windowpane' damage (eating one side of leaf leaving transparent... Watch
Harvesting Mibuna
When ready: Harvest baby leaves at 10 cm tall (approx. 21 days), or full clumps at 20 to 30 cm tall (approx. 40 to 50 days)
How to harvest: Snip outer leaves 2 to 3 cm above ground level for cut-and-come-again harvest, or harvest whole plant rosette
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Mibuna
When do you plant mibuna in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Oct
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Feb to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to May, Sep to Oct
Can you grow mibuna all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Feb to Apr, Sep to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Mibuna in Melbourne?
Sow direct or in seed trays from February to April or from September to November into rich, moist soil. Cold hardy and produces leaves right through winter.
What soil temperature do Mibuna need?
Mibuna germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 22°C.
How do I know when Mibuna are ready to harvest?
Harvest baby leaves at 10 cm tall (approx. 21 days), or full clumps at 20 to 30 cm tall (approx. 40 to 50 days)
What grows well with Mibuna?
Good companion plants for Mibuna include: Lettuce, Onion, Radish, Dill, Beetroot.
Are mibuna salt tolerant?
Only a little. Mibuna are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.